Souls of the Departed
Souls of the Departed Episode Number: Season 5, Episode 12 Directed By: Ralph Hemecker Air Date: March 6, 2016 Previous Episode: Swan Song Next Episode Labor of Love "Souls of the Departed" is the twelfth episode and midseason premiere of Season 5 of the American fairytale/drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on March 6, 2016. In this episode, Emma, her parents, Regina, Henry, Robin, and Mr. Gold arrive in the Underworld. In flashbacks, The Evil Queen celebrates her birthday. Plot 'Opening Sequence' The fallen Storybrooke clock tower in the Underworld appears in the red-tinted forest. 'Event Chronology' The Enchanted Forest events take place after "Lost Girl" and before "Hat Trick" (these events take place on February 1 of an unspecified year). The Storybrooke events take place during "Swan Song", after Emma makes a deal with Mr. Gold and before the group's departure for the Underworld. The Underworld events take place after Hook's death in "Swan Song". 'In the Character's Past' In the Enchanted Forest, Prince Henry is trying to convince his daughter, Regina, still after Snow White's heart, but she is unable to let go of her anger. He turns to the Magic Mirror in desperation to speak with Cora, believing that the best way to force Regina to get over Snow White is to just help her complete her plot, which Prince Henry is not in favor of. Unknown to Prince Henry and Regina, Cora has managed to enter the realm of the Enchanted Forest through the mirror again. Later on, Prince Henry meets with Snow White in the woods. When she sees the real Prince Henry approaching her, she realizes that the first Prince Henry was actually Cora, who rips out her heart while she is distracted. Cora takes Snow's heart to Regina as a birthday present, only to then learn that Snow switched it out with that of a guard. It turned out that Prince Henry saved Snow White by switching the hearts. A furious Regina then shrinks her father and condemns him into the very box that was holding the heart. Regina confronts Cora and sends her mother back into the mirror and seals it forever. At the last minute, Cora takes the box containing her husband so Regina will be truly alone. 'In the Underworld' In what appears to be a dream, Emma wakes up in a car and is greeted by Neal, who tells her that he's just sending her a "long distance call from an old friend." He explains that he personally isn't in the Underworld, as it is only for those who have unfinished business, and that once they arrive, it's very hard to leave. Neal warns Emma not to go, but she refuses to listen to his advice. As Emma, Gold, Mary Margaret, David, Henry, Regina, and Robin Hood arrive in the Underworld in their quest to find Hook, the ensemble comes across a brimstone-hued version of Storybrooke. Gold tells them that every soul with unfinished business lives here until it is fulfilled, and since they have arrived that means they are ready to finish it as they were responsible, as Emma sees Cruella's car that serves as an example. As they split up Regina and Robin are being followed by a resident (the person that Regina choked back in the Enchanted Forest), who leads them to Cora, who is the mayor of the Underworld Storybrooke. Cora offers Regina a way out, telling her she has one hour to leave on the ferry with Henry and Robin. She then takes Regina to a ledge over the Phlegethon, the River of Fire. She threatens to send Regina's father to a worse place if Regina does not comply, and she uses her messenger as an example by sending him off into the flames. Around the same time, Mary Margaret enters a Underworld version of Granny's and is recognized by The Blind Witch by her smell, and is then encountered by David wearing different clothes and proceeds to kiss her, as she realizes it's James, who is the "Sheriff" in this world. Gold goes to the Underworld version of his pawn shop and encounters his father Malcolm, whose soul must live as Peter Pan. Knowing already what Gold wants, Pan is willing to make a deal with no strings attached. However, he urges Gold to leave the Underworld, telling him that the others aren't his real friends, but Gold ignores his plea, accepting some sort of potion. Pan ominously adds that he himself would be able to leave, if only he could trade places with a living soul, although Gold refuses this. As everyone meets up again, Regina tells the others about Cora's warning, while Gold gives Emma the potion he obtained, which is from DunBroch, and can be used to summon the dead by pouring it over someone's grave. Gold explains it can be used to summon Hook and ask him where he is, but will not join them as he has decided that he is returning to Storybrooke. The group travels to the site of Hook's grave (everyone in the underworld has a grave site) and Emma pours the ale of Seonaidh potion (Seonaidh is a Celtic water spirit from the Isle of Lewis) on the ground but lacks the power to bring him back, although they get a glimpse of an injured Hook before the potion wears off. Regina uses the potion and finds the soul of her father, Prince Henry. Prince Henry tells Regina she has come too far to betray her friends now and tells her she must stay. Regina races to the banishment site with Henry as Cora attempts to banish the elder Henry, only to see the flames die down and a pathway to heaven open up. Since Regina has chosen to stay, remain a hero, and is no longer under the influence of her mother, Prince Henry's unfinished business is resolved. With his soul at peace, he is accepted into "a better place," and departs the Underworld after saying goodbye to Regina and Henry, who meets his namesake for the first time. The heroes realize they could potentially rescue all the souls here, and continue their quest to find Hook with this in mind. Cora meets with the ruler of the Underworld, Hades, who wishes the heroes gone (the clock on the broken tower will tick each time a soul leaves the Underworld), and punishes Cora for her failure with an eternity as a miller's daughter once again. Cast Starring *Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard *Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan *Lana Parrilla as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills *Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan/Prince James *Emilie de Ravin as Belle *Colin O'Donoghue as Hook *Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills *Rebecca Mader as The Wicked Witch/Zelena *Sean Maguire as Robin Hood *Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold Guest Starring *Greg Germann as Hades *Barbara Hershey as Cora/The Queen of Hearts *Robbie Kay as Peter Pan *Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy *Giancarlo Esposito as The Genie/Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass *Lee Arenberg as Grumpy/Leroy *Tony Perez as Prince Henry *Emma Caulfield as The Blind Witch *Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper *Faustino di Bauda as Sleepy/Walter *Gabe Khouth as Sneezy/Tom Clark *Michael Coleman as Happy *David Paul Grove as Doc *Mig Macario as Bashful *Jeffrey Kaiser as Dopey *Steven Roberts as Blacktooth Trivia Production Notes= *The title card features the Underworld's fallen clock tower. *The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on October 29, 2015. *Adam Horowitz is a fan of the singer Bruce Springsteen. This episode shares its name with a song from the rock star's 1992 album Lucky Town. *The opening scene with Neal was not filmed during the original filming schedule of this episode, which occurred in November 2015. Instead, Michael Raymond-James filmed his scene indoors on a soundstage three months later in January 2016. The actor went through great lengths to keep his return a secret. *Jiminy Cricket appears in this episode, but Raphael Sbarge did not return to voice him. *The idea of Hades getting a pedicure was pitched by Greg Germann. *The floor in Hades' Lair has a pentacle motif. The edges show the pitchfork-like motif from one of the flags in the lair. The floor of the Ambrosia Temple from "Firebird" has the same design. Fittingly enough, the pentacle and the pentagram are often associated with evil and the devil. However, they are are also seen as positive and spiritual images. These symbols have been used by major world religions, and can be found in ancient scriptures of Christianity and even Judaism. In earlier times, Christians have widely used the pentagram as a personal charm and a protective amulet, and at one time, the pentagram was used to symbolize the five wounds of Jesus when he was hanged on the cross. The pentagram and the pentacle have also been used by occult faiths and magicians, and today, the pentagram is used as a symbol for Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. It is also said that the five points of the pentagram represent the five elements, fire, earth, water, air and spirit. The platform over the River of Lost Souls from "Devil's Due" is also shaped like a pentacle. |-|Goofs= *In the close-up of The Blind Witch's eyes, you can see the contact lenses used to hide the actress' pupils. |-|Other Notes= FILMING LOCATIONS *Although Emma's dream/vision with Neal was filmed indoors on a sound stage, Vancouver's Playland amusement park was used as a background plate. The roller coaster "The Revelation" can be seen in the background. The scene with Emma and Neal at the Portland amusement park in "There's No Place Like Home", and the scene with Ingrid and young Emma at the funfair in "Shattered Sight", were filmed in the same amusement park. *Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery doubles as the Underworld Cemetery for the show.